Celtics, Bruins in uncharacteristic role reversals

What is more possible, the Boston Celtics winning three out of four, or the Bruins going 3 for 3?

If you said, "Neither of the above," you're about average. Nobody sounds too optimistic about either team.

As they travel their separate but parallel paths, these two teams have undergone some interesting role reversal. The glamorous and champion C's have morphed into Lunchpail AC, trying to make the best of an unlucky hand.

The common-man B's are suddenly the bully of the playground, getting cuffed around by a feisty little adversary.

Unfortunately, the new look does not fit either team very well right now.

Routing Orlando in Game 2 showed the Celtics may not have Kevin Garnett, but they still have some spine. They insist on dreaming the Impossible Dream, an NBA title without KG.

The decisive Game 3 loss, though, reminded us what the exhausting Chicago series showed us. Without Garnett, the Celtics look like an outfit on borrowed time.

The Bruins finally have our attention after a decade of trying. With their top-seeded status forcing them into the unfamiliar role of heavy favorite, they have been thoroughly outplayed by an opponent that barely made it this far.

This season, the Bruins played well enough to make a Stanley Cup look possible. The Eastern Conference final seemed like the most modest of reasonable goals.

Dominating Montreal in the first round made them look primed for a serious playoff run. Carolina looked like a favorable matchup.

Now, with opportunity banging on the door, the Bruins can't get off the sofa to answer it.

They are one series victory away from turning Boston into a raging Hockeytown again. But unless they take over a series the Carolina Hurricanes have totally controlled, a breakout season will end with a flat taste.

By contrast, I don't know anybody who thinks the Celtics, in their current state, are good enough to win the NBA title. They are in the unusual position of defending their championship, without anyone expecting they can.

Game 2 suggested that even if LeBron James and certain doom awaited in the next round, they might have enough juice left to get that far. The Magic put the squash to that in Game 3.

No one will blame the Garnett-less Celtics if they lose. It's the Bruins carrying the favorite's burden like pianos on their backs.

Even though the B's are in worse shape than the C's, I give them a slightly better chance of turning things around. Their best stars aren't playing well, but the talent is there.

I also like their chances of grabbing a win in Carolina, more than I like the Celtics' chances of stealing a game in Orlando.

But the Bruins were better off when they were the feisty upstart, not the powerhouse. The Celtics were better off when they were the powerhouse, not the upstart.

Now, their roles are reversed. No wonder both teams are giving off strong signals that Boston's winter sports season may be over very soon. 